At a location that I will keep quiet here*, I had to swerve at the last minute to avoid what looked like a deep, frame-shaking pothole. Going to the left to miss it puts one perilously close to oncoming traffic in the opposite lane.

I decided I would report the pothole through the channels the city recommends and keep a blog about what happens from there.

Day 1 (April 24)

2:15 p.m.: I avoided the pothole and stopped to scribble a note about its location.

Back at the office, 2:47 p.m.: I filed this report about the pothole using the public works department’s email address, askpw@cityofhbg.com:

“Hi Aaron, Michaele, and everybody,

There's a potential axle-breaker pothole on 17th St. northbound, just before 17th crosses Herr Street. Not a big one, but it's deep – and not easy to see until you're right on top of it. I swerved at the last minute and missed it – but I'm sure somebody will hit it.”

(I have been told this is the preferred way for citizens to request the city’s attention to a specific problem.)

I immediately got an auto-reply from the 311 system:

"Thank you for using 311 Online to get involved in making the City of Harrisburg a great place to live and work! We have received your request and will now review it during normal business hours. Our response time depends in large part on the volume of requests we receive. Please know that we value your feedback and will be back in touch with you as soon as possible. If you are experiencing an emergency (i.e. fire, medical, crime) please dial 911 immediately.

Sincerely,

The City of Harrisburg 311 Online Team

This email was automatically generated from Partnership Planners located at http://www.partnershipplanners.org"

Then the wait began.

Check back for regular updates on what’s happening. They’ll be posted under “Matt’s Pothole Watch.”

* I’m not disclosing the location here, because I want the city’s repair work to be guided by reports filed through its official channels, not media coverage. It is not a street I normally travel, nor is it in the neighborhood where my apartment is located, so this is not a self-interested crusade.

Matt Zencey is Deputy Opinion Editor of PennLive and The Patriot-News. Email mzencey@pennlive.com and on Twitter @MattZencey.